The Stranger in the Mirror
by Okrightmeow
Summary: A Tom Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel fan-fiction. "I lay in the hospital bed, tears run down my now scarred face. I was wishing for my miserable existence to end when my twin brother, Bill, walked in. "Tom." Bill whispered my name softly as he approached my bed"
1. Chapter 1

**The Stranger in the Mirror**

**Chapter One**

**By CariCalifornia**

* * *

I lay in the hospital bed, tears run down my now scarred face. I was wishing for my miserable existence to end when my twin brother, Bill, walked in.

"Tom." Bill whispered my name softly as he approached my bed by the window.

I turned away from the blinding light that was shining through the open window and looked at him. Identical, not anymore we weren't.

"The doctors said you can leave today." Bill said quietly.

I mumbled an okay and got out of the hospital bed, then walked into the adjoining bathroom. I started to walk past the little mirror on the wall but stopped to look at what I had become; how I had changed. My head was shaved now, blonde dreadlocks long gone. My once stunning face was replaced with one I didn't recognize. I looked at the stranger staring at me in the mirror, scars and cuts, still new, on his face and head. His eyes though, I knew them well. They once were very bright with hopes and dreams, but ever since the wreck, they've gone cold and turned grey. The hole under my lip was still there, where a silver lip ring used to reside; the doctors took it out when they tried to fix my face.

I showered quickly and dressed in the clothes Bill had brought from home. I looked back at the stranger in the mirror one more time, and then shut the bathroom door behind me. When I came out, Bill was sitting in one of the room's brown leather chairs; he noticed me and got up.

"Bill, can we go home now?" I asked.

"Of course Tom, let's leave." Bill replied.

We walked out of the hospital room, bags in hand, to the receptionist's desk toward the doors. Bill then signed my release forms while the woman seated behind the counter stared at me. I tried not to notice, but it was a very unabashed stare.

After he turned in the forms to the intrepid woman, we walked out the doors and into the parking lot. Bill had parked close to the entrance, so it didn't take long to find the car. We got into the Audi Bill got for our birthday and I threw my bags in the back; then we drove out into the city streets.

We drove for a while, in silence. The only noise was the sound of car horns and the tires on the pavement. After not recognizing where we were driving I asked,

"Where are we going Bill? Are you lost; this isn't how we get home."

He didn't reply, just smiled and kept his eyes on the road. Sometimes, my brother really annoys me.

When the car stopped, we were parked in front of a restaurant called "Das Deuschen."  
Funny it meant "German Home" When that was where we were _supposed_ to be going, home. I was annoyed and angry, and Bill probably was picking up on that seeing as how I was scowling. All he said though was,

"Come on Tomi Boy, let's celebrate!"

Not much to celebrate, I thought bitterly. I got out of the car despite my bitterness, and walked in the restaurant with Bill.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

I scanned the room and saw two familiar faces. There sitting in a corner booth, were my band mates and best friends, Georg and Gustav. We walked to where they were sitting, and I took a seat across from them. Right as we were seated, a gorgeous waitress came over to take our order. I flashed her one of my famous beguiling smiles. Instead of the usual reaction, like blushing or nervous fidgeting, she turned away in disgust. She took our orders for our drinks, despite the awkward tension at the table, and walked back into the kitchen across the room.

Gustav said my name, breaking my stare at the waitress; I turned back around to face him. He took out a gift bag with my name on it, and said it was from everyone. I took the bag from his hand and smiled. A gift, this is just what I needed! I opened up the present and inside it was two supersized bags of skittles and a black cap with hot pink writing, Bill had obviously picked it out. We all had a nice laugh about the hat while Bill was joking of what shirt I could wear it with.

The waitress came back with our drinks on her serving plate. I smirked at her and used the most seductive voice I could muster to say,

"Hey baby how about you come back to my place later on; we'll have some drinks of our own."

She looked at me with abhorrence in her eyes and replied that she'd never have a drink with me in a million years. Our laughs and smiles faded quickly as she walked away.

Gustav looked at me with pity, I could tell, and my head hung down. I felt like a pig, and a much rejected one at that. It was then in that moment where my head was hung low, that I realized what I had been doing all these years. I have always judged women on their looks, not on who they were; now the same thing was happening to me. I looked back on my life, I had so many chances to fall in love but I had taken them all for granted. I was wondering what I could ever do with the rest of my life when Bill interrupted my thoughts by saying,

"Tom, let's go home okay?"

The car ride home was silent; Bill pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off. He looked at me and with concern in his eyes and asked,

"Tomi, what's wrong?"

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what I was about to ask, "Things aren't ever going to be the same for me again are they?"

He was silent so I gathered my courage and then confessed, "Bill I want to fall in love," He looked at me with wide eyes, but I continued, "I don't know how to love, Bill. I mean, look at me, look at what I've become! No one could ever love me now."

I sat there quietly thinking about what I had just said, to Bill my baby brother of all people. He waited to make sure I was finished and then said,

"Tom, I think I know someone that could help you, she's helped me a lot."

"Bill, do you really know someone that could help _me_?" I looked at him hopefully, he nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

We were on the bus headed to our old home town Magdeburg a few hours later. Bill sat next to me on the bus listening to his iPod and singing quietly; I tapped him on the shoulder and he took out one of his ear buds and looked at me.  
"Bill, what's the woman's name that's supposed to help me?" I asked, fidgeting nervously.

"Her name is Sarah." He replied and then put his ear bud back in and continued singing to one of his old Green Day songs.

I rested my head and closed my eyes, thinking about the future, as images from tall grey buildings and trees with leaves turning fiery amber, raced outside of the bus window.

I woke up an hour later, right as we were driving past the "Magdeburg" sign announcing that we were back in our hometown at last. I had been thinking before I fell asleep, had Sarah always been here in Magdeburg? I don't remember a Sarah; if Bill was friends with her, I would have been the first to know. My thoughts shifted when we drove past the house in which we grew up. Feelings of warmth and the family love we felt there all those years, rushed back to me. The house was old and tattered now, and the bus quickly passed it. Just like memories we wish to forget, it faded into the background; yet the presence of it will stay in our hearts forever.

I turned my eyes away from the window, and they landed on Bill. He was sleeping, head rested on my shoulder, iPod still playing Green Day. I shook him softly trying to wake him up; no response.  
"Bill, wake up!" I said a little too loudly. A few people looked back at me and my brother, I ignored them. Bill still wasn't waking up; I pushed him over and he hit his head on one of the metal bars in the isle. I heard him mumble a few select curse words at me, and I tapped his shoulder again.  
"Bill, get your lazy butt up, we're here!" I said, quieter this time so no one looked.

Bill swatted my hands from his shoulder and told me to relax.

"Bill you moron get up! I don't know where this Sarah girl-"

"Sarah? Where's Sarah!!!?!" Bill shot up excitedly looking left and right.

"Oh my God Bill, seriously, pay attention; I don't know where we're going!" I said slightly irritated at the fact Bill was so eager to wake up for this 'Sarah' girl, but not for his own twin; oh the brotherly love!

Bill groaned, either because he realized Sarah wasn't here, or at the fact I didn't know where we were going. I was hoping that he wasn't groaning at that last part; what was I supposed to do, MapQuest her? Sometimes my brother can be very childish, but then again, so can I.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

The bus approached a little ramshackle bus stop made of plywood; Bill pulled one of the ropes signaling to the driver that we needed to get off. The bus came to a stop and we stood up and grabbed our bags from the overhead rack. As soon as we were off, the bus it shut its doors and pulled away. Bill started walking, without exactly telling me where we were going; I knew we were going to Sarah's but _where_ were we going?

I followed Bill, and we walked down the sidewalk for a good ten minutes before I said,

"Bill how much father do we have to walk, I'm tired."  
His reply was a laugh and he called me lazy. I'm getting really tired of him not answering my questions! But at least I know that my baby brother hasn't changed after the accident…

"Hey Tom," Bill Shouted from a few feet ahead of me, "We're here!" He had the goofiest smile on his face and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

The house was two story, and white with black shutters. Not very European if I do say so, it stood out from all the other houses on the street.

We walked to the porch and I stood behind Bill as he rang the doorbell; I was sweating. I haven't been this nervous since…well, ever. He rang the door bell again, and held down the button.

"Bill quit it; you're going to tick off whoever is in there!" I scolded.  
He snorted at me. What was that about?! I don't appreciate that, brother.

Just then, the door opened, and a woman stood in the door frame. She was tall and petite, with light blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. Her face was fatigued as if Bill's ceaseless ringing of the door bell had awakened her from a much needed sleep. She looked at us through sleepy, squinted eyes, but then must have realized who it was.

She tackled Bill in a bear hug, almost knocking him over.

"Bill!!" She shouted, squeezing him in a hug so tight, that I backed up a little in fear of the same thing happening to me.

"Sarah, calm down, let…go…I …can't breathe!" Bill managed between breaths of air. The fact that my brother, my six foot three foot tall brother, who was afraid of nothing-except spiders of course- was getting squeezed to death by a woman, made me burst out in laughter.

It was then, that Sarah noticed me. She let Bill go and he gasped for air. She turned to me and said,

"Hello Tom, Bill's told me a lot about you, we went to school together remember?"

School…together…us? No, I would have remembered this girl; she looked like a supermodel-with super strength- I reminded myself.

"You don't remember me? Well I'm not surprised you don't. You were the biggest player at our school." She said bluntly.

Her words hurt, and she must have picked up on that because she came over to give me a hug. I flinched and she laughed.  
"I'm not going to give you a bear hug like Bill, he's…" She looked at Bill, "Special." She finished with a smile. Thank the lord I shouted on the inside. On the outside, I smiled uneasily; still afraid she might hug me anyway.  
Instead, she grabbed my hand and flipped it palm side up. She was staring attentively at it when I interrupted her,

"Um, excuse me, what are you doing?"

Bill shushed me; I glared at him. I hate it when people shush me!

A few moments later she spoke,

"Aha! That's what I thought, come inside guys, I wouldn't want you to freeze."

"How would we freeze in the fall; there's no snow." I mumbled under my breath; Sarah was strange.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

She opened up the door and led us into what appeared to be the living room. The room was just as strange as Sarah herself seemed. There were paintings and pictures on the wall of symbols I faintly remembered were the zodiac. Gold curtains with purple and ruby red beads hung on the navy blue walls. In the middle of the room, was a circular table covered in a billowing red fabric; on top of it was a sparkling clear ball.

"Bill, what exactly did you bring me here for?" I said, suspecting who Sarah was.  
"Tom, Sarah is the best of the best, if you want to find love; she's the only one that can help you."

Sarah sat at the table in silence. I was starting to feel very anxious but then I saw myself a gold plated mirror hanging on the wall.  
Once again, there was that stranger looking back at me. I knew what I had to do, and I didn't have to accept being that person; I sat down at the table with Bill and Sarah. She nodded in silent agreement, her perkiness faded with the light of the room.

The three of us sat there, not speaking, in the dimly lit room for what seemed like eternity. Finally, Sarah spoke.

"Tom you want to find love, correct?"

I nodded, she continued.

"I want you to look into the crystal ball when I say its okay. What you see, you may not tell _anyone_. That puzzle is yours alone to complete."  
With that she joined hands with Bill, and then took mine in her other hand. Bill clasped my free hand with his other hand. She began to chant softly,

"Hour after hour, day after day, beauty is gone, does love remain?"

Over and over, faster and faster, her voice growing louder each time she repeated the incantation. I think that's what it was, an incantation right?

The curtains rustled as if a strong wind had blown through the window, even though they were closed. The temperature in the room dropped; I could see my breath and my teeth chattered.

The table shook and paintings flew off the walls. After a few seconds of this, everything stopped and the air was still. Sarah had stopped chanting; a white light radiated from the crystal ball on the table.

Some invisible force seemed to draw me closer to the crystal, until I was near enough to see the reflection of who I was now. I gazed into the light of the ball and the stranger dissipated. In his place was a woman. She was sitting under a tree, with auburn leaves all around her, smiling. She looked at me as I gazed at her, as if she were actually there. Then, she reached for my hand and pulled me in. The wind was on my face, the leaves rustled around her.

She was beautiful. Long dark brown hair swirling around her small face; she had eyes blue like the deepest parts of the ocean. Her hand was small in mine and delicate and pale like a china doll. I sat next to her and she whispered my name; her voice ringing, like little bells on the wind. We sat there, her in my arms; I was completely captivated by her.  
"I love you, Tom." She whispered.

"Anna, I love you too." I replied. How I had known her name, I wasn't sure.

She smiled, and the sun shined, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed; the world was bursting with color. Then it went to grey, and slowly everything faded away. Anna reached for me, I was being pulled away. Frantically, I shouted her name over and over.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_The end._

* * *

I woke up with Sarah and Bill hovering over me.

"Where is she?! Where's Anna!!!" I yelled desperately.

"Shh, calm down Tom, it was a dream." Sarah crooned.

"No, please, it couldn't have been a dream!" I shouted. Where was Anna? Where were they hiding her?! Where, where, where, where is she?!?

Bill and Sarah exchanged a look and she whispered something to him that I couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry Bill, I thought he was ready; it's entirely my fault." Sarah began to cry.

That's what got Bill; he never could take it when girls cried. So, I knew what was coming and I braced myself for it.

"Tom," Bill was trying to control his voice, "Look what you've done! You made Sarah cry! I brought you here, so you could find love; is this how you repay her?!"

I didn't know what to say, Bill has never gotten this angry at me before.  
"Bill…I…"

"No! Tom, you're going back to Hamburg alone!" He boomed.

I was too afraid to say anything else so I got up and walked out of the house.

Slowly, I walked, wondering if Bill would ever speak to me again. What had I done? I accused Bill of all people, and hurt Sarah. She was as important to Bill as Anna was to me, whether Anna existed or not.

It had started to rain lightly. Great, I thought, this is just what I needed. Up ahead I saw the bus-stop, but before that, I saw the bus drive right past me. I ran frantically, waving my arms. The bus didn't stop so I gave up. Not knowing what else to do, I walked on. It seemed like everything had gone so wrong these past few months.

About ten minutes later, I stumbled and fell into the mud. I got up and saw what had tripped me; it was a weathered brick. In the grass where I fell, in the middle of all that mud, was a single blue flower. It had beautiful blue edges and yellow lining its dark center. I picked up the fragile flower, oh how it reminded me of my Anna. The blue was as blue as her deep ocean eyes, and the yellow brightened up the black center, just as she had brightened my dark heart.

I held my flower close and walked to the porch of the place where I had always belonged. I jiggled the handle and the door to my childhood house creaked open. I walked the halls full of memories, and pictured the place like it used to be. School photos of Bill and I had once lined the walls and smells of Mother's cooking used to drift throughout the house. Bill and I would be in our bedroom writing music, even though we were supposed to be doing our homework. We used to be inseparable.

The walls were empty now, no delicious smells were coming from the kitchen, and absolutely no music was playing. I went into the bedroom Bill and I used to share, it was empty of course, but it didn't matter to me. I sat on the old carpeted floor where we used to have our sleepovers, and where Bill would constantly throw his clothes. There was a small shard of a mirror on the floor; I picked it up.

The person staring back at me, was no longer a stranger, it was me. It had always been me, even before the accident. The stranger had always been with me, just deep inside. I had always been an ugly person; now, it was true inside and out.

It was then in that moment, that I saw her. She was outside the window under a tree; the rain had stopped. It was exactly how I had seen her in the crystal ball. I ran to the window and flung it open.

"Anna!" I yelled exasperatedly

She looked at me, and smiled like she had before. When she smiled the sun shined, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed; the world was bursting with color again.

"Tom," She said "You're home!"

* * *

**Hey! Thanks for taking the time to read my Tokio Hotel Fanfic! :)  
I hope you liked it, please review!!**

**-CariCalifornia**


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